What Happened When I Stepped Back from Social Media
A few weeks ago, I decided to actually acknowledge my various Apple updates and realized that I was spending around 8 hours per day on my phone. Truth be told, I was shocked. I knew that I spent some of my time checking my social media, emails, and texting, but I could never have fathomed that I was spending a third of my day, every day, gluing my eyes to a glaring screen. Keep in mind that this was only time spent on my phone’s screen, not that of my laptop or television. This made me stop and think: In what other ways could I be utilizing my time?
Today, our worlds are so infiltrated by screens that it is easy to get lost in our individualistic virtual realities. Trust me, I have proven this to be true from my own screen usage. I discovered that the majority of my day consisted of catching up on the lives of family, friends, and fashion influencers through various social media platforms. Again, I asked myself, what else could I be spending my time on?
To answer these interpersonal questions, I decided to plunge into a new journey, and take a step back from social media. Now, I did not delete my actual accounts, as I did not want to remove my entire social media presence. However, I deleted the apps from my phone. By doing this, I removed the convenient temptation of merely opening the app itself.
So, here’s a play-by-play of what happened when I decided to step back from social media.
Week One: I’m not going to lie, I literally got so bored and did not know what to do with myself whenever I had down-time. I was moping around my apartment and was extremely tempted to just redownload my social media apps. However, I was determined to continue this endeavor so that I could prove to myself that I did not need to fill some type of void by aimlessly scrolling through social media posts. Needless to say, this challenge was beginning to take its toll, and the week absolutely dragged on.
Week Two: This week was definitely more liberating than the first. I started to create a routine for myself, and realized how much more free time I actually had to get things done. I also found some extra time in my schedule to pamper myself a bit, which did wonders for my mental health. I started taking more time to get ready in the morning, allowing myself to enjoy a cup of hot tea while in the midst of my morning routine, a small but invigorating amenity. I also had more time to engage in physical activity and was able to delve into meal prepping, which was actually a lifesaver during my busy workweek. Overall, I felt less stressed and was able to enjoy my day while simultaneously completing my various tasks.
Although I was becoming accustomed to my relinquishment of social media, and realized the benefits of it during this week, I did endure a minor slip up. To be completely transparent, I did redownload one of my social media apps to check my feed for some time. However, I did not let this minor infraction deter me from moving forward with my efforts. I simply deleted the app once more and continued on with my ‘social media-less’, for the most part, journey.
Week Three: I not only began cooking more, thanks to the ease and convenience of meal prepping methods, but I began eating a healthier diet altogether. I also allowed myself to relax in little spurts throughout the day, instead of constantly bolting to-and-fro attempting to complete all of my daily tasks within a nine-to-five timeframe. I gave myself time to enjoy my day and began blocking off certain times for myself. This enabled me to enjoy the little things like reading my favorite novels, baking guilty pleasures, bingeing new Netflix thrillers, sipping on steaming hot tea, and ultimately allowing myself time to breathe.
Taking time out of my day to focus solely on myself truly felt liberating. I felt a certain sense of gratitude and sheer pleasure for the little things instead of letting a rigid academic routine take control of my life.
If I Can Do It, So Can You
Although I know that I will eventually redownload my social media apps and continue to both post and consume social media, I am more conscious of how I utilize my time throughout the day. To tell the truth, I did not have high hopes for this new venture, and did not think I would last a few days, let alone a few weeks. Although the beginning was definitely a challenge, I am grateful for committing to this opportunity and for the experiences it produced. By stepping back from social media, I now view life with a fresh perspective. Pure enjoyment and self-fulfillment are not achieved from how many likes one receives on a picture, but by the little things in life, which are typically taken for granted each and every day.
Giving up social media may seem practically impossible, and I understand that. Most of us have grown up in the wake of social media, and we have been producing it, and being a product of it, practically our entire lives. However, my experience with relinquishing social media has not only proven the fact that it is doable for Millennials, but also, that it has the potential to positively impact your life along the way. You might think that stepping back from social media is just not for you, but take my advice and try it before coming to any conclusions. I was pleasantly surprised with my experience, and you may be too.